A Tale of Two Cities

Its immortal opening lines, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." set the stage for a sweeping narrative that combines drama, glory, honor, history, romance, brutality, sacrifice and resurrection.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is one of the most widely read and famous works of historical fiction in the English language. Dickens had recently launched his magazine All the Year Round in 1859. In the same year, he began featuring A Tale of Two Cities in 31 weekly installments in his new magazine. The book was eventually combined into a single copy and split into three major sections as it is presented today.

In this epic tale of love and tragedy set during the turbulent times of the French Revolution in 1789, the motif of two's appears constantly as opposing sides of the same coin. London and Paris are the two cities, Sidney Carton and Charles Darnay are the two heroes, Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge are the pure and evil women respectively, and these along with shadows and darkness, sacrifice and dishonor, brutality and spirituality form the recurring dual motifs in the novel.

Sidney Carton, a young, debauched and dissolute English barrister defends a young French aristocrat Charles Darnay accused of treason in London. The two bear a striking resemblance to each other. Lucie Manette, a lovely young French girl and her father Dr. Manette, who had suffered under the atrocities of the nobility in France, now live a quiet life in London. Charles and Lucie are in love, but Sidney Carton also falls in love with her. Meanwhile in France, the storm of revolution is about to break. A wine store owner and Dr. Manette's former servant, Monsieur Defarge, leads the revolutionaries. His wife, Madame Defarge is a vicious woman who revels in cruelty. She too has suffered under the aristocratic regime and now seeks to destroy all those who persecuted her. Charles Darnay returns to Paris to rescue an old servant of his who has been captured by the revolutionaries. He is captured by the rebels and condemned to be executed by guillotine. The story then takes several dramatic twists and turns before reaching its final and most unexpected conclusion.

As one of the most exciting and deeply moving stories penned by a brilliant and gifted story teller, A Tale of Two Cities is indeed a riveting and unforgettable experience for readers of all ages.

Its immortal opening lines, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." set the stage for a sweeping narrative that combines drama, glory, honor, history, romance, brutality, sacrifice and resurrection.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is one of the most widely read and famous works of historical fiction in the English language. Dickens had recently launched his magazine All the Year Round in 1859. In the same year, he began featuring A Tale of Two Cities in 31 weekly installments in his new magazine. The book was eventually combined into a single copy and split into three major sections as it is presented today.

In this epic tale of love and tragedy set during the turbulent times of the French Revolution in 1789, the motif of two's appears constantly as opposing sides of the same coin. London and Paris are the two cities, Sidney Carton and Charles Darnay are the two heroes, Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge are the pure and evil women respectively, and these along with shadows and darkness, sacrifice and dishonor, brutality and spirituality form the recurring dual motifs in the novel.

Sidney Carton, a young, debauched and dissolute English barrister defends a young French aristocrat Charles Darnay accused of treason in London. The two bear a striking resemblance to each other. Lucie Manette, a lovely young French girl and her father Dr. Manette, who had suffered under the atrocities of the nobility in France, now live a quiet life in London. Charles and Lucie are in love, but Sidney Carton also falls in love with her. Meanwhile in France, the storm of revolution is about to break. A wine store owner and Dr. Manette's former servant, Monsieur Defarge, leads the revolutionaries. His wife, Madame Defarge is a vicious woman who revels in cruelty. She too has suffered under the aristocratic regime and now seeks to destroy all those who persecuted her. Charles Darnay returns to Paris to rescue an old servant of his who has been captured by the revolutionaries. He is captured by the rebels and condemned to be executed by guillotine. The story then takes several dramatic twists and turns before reaching its final and most unexpected conclusion.

As one of the most exciting and deeply moving stories penned by a brilliant and gifted story teller, A Tale of Two Cities is indeed a riveting and unforgettable experience for readers of all ages.

February 11, 2017Brilliant, so enjoyed the story and Paul Adams was fantastic!

Reviewer:Naomi - November 29, 2016Subject:ReviewBrilliant. Loved this book and the narrator Paul Adams. Hope I come across a narrative of his again. Great story. First time I've truly appreciated Charles Dickens talent for writing stories. Brilliant

September 29, 2015this was cool

Reviewer:Patricia - May 1, 2015Subject:ReviewThis is a wonderful book and the Paul Adams, the reader, is magnificent! You can tell that Paul loves this story too. He puts so much emotion into it. Great to listen to!

Reviewer:Peter - March 24, 2015Subject:Tale of Two CitiesWhy had nobody tried harder to get me to read (or listen to) Dickens before? Amazingly written. This is what readers talk about when they say they get lost in a book. I was immersed as the wine barrel broke open on the street, held my breath as the Bastille was stormed and couldn't wait for my next commute to hear the contents of the doctor's letter. I'll be listening to more Dickens shortly. To Paul Adams, thank you. Your reading was fantastic. A voice made for the story.

Reviewer:Julie - January 12, 2015Subject:ReviewWow this is hard. The narrator did a good job overall. His interpretation of this story was interesting. By the end of the book he was wonderful . This story is not like any of the other books Charles D has written. It must have been very trying to have lived in a world such as his. We are so very lucky today. Thank you.

Reviewer:Lisa - October 31, 2014Subject:WonderfulThe only thing better than a wonderful story is a wonderful story read by a fabulous reader.

Reviewer:Stephen - May 10, 2014Subject:A Tale of Two CitiesLove the way he puts emphasis on certain words that can be very easy to read over. It makes homework reading somewhat fun and interesting.

Reviewer:David C. - April 11, 2014Great book and great reader! I really enjoyed it all.

Reviewer:Karis K. - January 9, 2014Subject:Amazing voiceThe way he puts more emotion into the reading makes me feel excited and suspicious. Amazing!

Reviewer:Phillip D - November 7, 2013I'm quickly becoming a Charles Dickens fan. This book is no exception although it took a while to get into it and like most Dickens books, there is such an array of characters that are introduced, I found myself Googling the character list to figure out who was who. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't for the fact that it took me half the book before I "really" started enjoying it. If I divided the book in two, the first half would be 4 stars and the second half would be 5.

Reviewer:Douglas - September 11, 2013Subject:A tale of two citiesThis was my first audio book. The combination of the writing (it made me laugh out loud and almost brought me to tears) plus Paul Adams' reading made it a fabulous experience. Thoroughly recommended.

August 11, 2013I had to stop listening about 1/4 through this book - I just couldn't listen to the reader any longer. Every word spoken is sooo dramatic - way too dramatic...

Reviewer:bbo - March 5, 2013Great book. The book has a great plot.

February 15, 2013Very good.

Reviewer:bookguy - January 6, 2013Subject:Very well doneI've listened to this book over and over again. It is of course a great story. I listen so many times primarily because Paul Adams does the best reading of a book that I have ever heard. He is able to create a one man verbal dramatic performance. He injects nuance into every word and intention into every sentence. Not one stumble, hesitation or mispronunciation. I can only hope Paul Adams lends his talents to a new classic book project very soon. I would gladly listen as he reads the phone book.

Reviewer:Tom+Karen - December 23, 2012Subject:Paul Adams as readerThis was our first audiobook download and what a treat! Paul Adams made the book come alive. Thank you Yawn Guy!